Georgia-Pacific Standard Paper 20# Review

by Tony Thomas

Now that two of my local Staples stores have closed (and the rest are far away), I decided to go on the prowl for some cheap utility-grade paper (20#) that works well with fountain pens.

I happened to be at a Wal Mart store yesterday and saw a mini pack (200 sheets) of Georgia-Pacific Standard 20# multi-purpose paper for $2.00  For such a low price, I decided to give it a try.

After a quick test, I was pretty impressed.  Not much feathering and no bleed through.  I will cut and punch it for use in my EDC Levenger Circa notebook.  Works really well for a 20# paper.  I'll have to try their 24# next.   

My New Traveler's Notebook

by Tony Thomas

Over a month ago I ordered some tooling leather and dye to create another traveler's notebook using the Ray Blake method.   The last time I created one was a year and a half ago and you can find the article here.   

This time around, I went with thinner and lighter leather for a more floppy appearance.  Also, I used a brown dye rather than a reddish one.   It holds four notebooks (currently three handmade and one Field Notes).  I took some time to distress it before dyeing for a more weathered look.  I am very pleased with the results and this will be my EDC!

Attack of the Nib Eater!

by Tony Thomas

I was going through some of my infrequently used pens and found a Wality eyedropper with a Knox nib that I had filled with Rohrer and Kligner Scabiosa ink quite a while ago. Some of the ink had evaporated so I decided to clean out the pen. As could be expected, it took a quite a bit of effort to clean out a pen containing iron gall ink.

When I attempted to remove the nib and feed from the section, I noticed that it was stuck. After applying a bit of elbow-grease, I was able to dislodge them. I was not surprised to see that the steel nib was pitted and corroded due to prolonged contact with the ink.

What did surprise me is that, upon closer examination with a loupe, the ink had actually eaten a hole in the nib!

As a result, I would advise everyone to use any iron gall ink with extreme caution in any pen with steel nib. In my case, I only use iron gall inks in inexpensive pens with easily replaceable nibs. In the future, I will not leave iron gall inks in any of my pens for more than a few days.

You have been warned!
 

Dollar General DG Office Writing Tablet

by Tony Thomas

I am always in search of inexpensive, fountain pen friendly paper.  When visiting my local Dollar General store recently, I came across their "DG Office" writing tablet priced at $1.00 for 120 sheets.

I always check to see where it was made and was excited when I saw it was made in Indonesia.  As I have reported earlier, I have had quite a bit of success with Indonesian paper supplied by iScholar.  The paper was unusually smooth for the price (most cheap paper feels like fine sandpaper these days). Since it was only a buck, I thought I would give it a try.

I was quite pleased with the results.  Most pens and ink played well with this paper.  There was only a bit of feathering with my Pilot Custom 74 with SFM nib and Pilot blue ink, but this pen is notoriously wet.  My other pens with Waterman ink performed well.  There was a bit of bleed through/show through, especially with broader nibs and wetter pens, but for thin paper, this is to be expected.

Bottom line: This is pretty decent paper for only a buck!

Jinhao 8812 Rosewood Fountain Pen

by Tony Thomas

I'm always on the lookout for interesting fountain pens. When I saw the Jinhao 8812 , I knew that I wanted it. As someone who loves objects made out of wood, I found its rosewood body especially attractive. And at less than $8 on eBay, the price was right.

Here are some vital statistics:

Length (capped): 136mm
Length (uncapped): 119mm
Width: 13mm
Weight: 45 grams

Nib: #5 medium

The pen is a bit hefty and is solidly built.  Jinhao is usually pretty good in the QC department which is amazing considering the low price of their pens.  The 8812 is also a smooth writer (as most Jinhao pens are).  You can post it, but I found it to be too back-heavy when posted and too long (160mm).   It comes with an Jinhao converter and it can also take international standard ink cartridges.

This is a great pen for the money that will turn a few heads.

The Fountain Pen Book

by Tony Thomas

"The Fountain Pen Book" is my latest book and has just been released on Amazon.com.  

"If you are interested in fountain pens, this book is a great place to start. It is short, easy to read and filled with valuable information that I have gathered since becoming a fountain pen enthusiast. I have included lots of links so that you can connect with other fountain pen users, dealers and resources. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it! 

Check it out: http://goo.gl/4C9BV6

Happy Fountain Pen Day 2015!

by Tony Thomas

It is Fountain Pen Day!  Is it time to renew our love for fountain pens and writing with them. 

I have been writing with fountain pens on and off for over 40 years.  In the past five years or so, my interest in them has increased due to the efforts of people like Brian Goulet, Stephen BRE Brown and the members of the Fountain Pen Network.  

There is a large and growing fountain pen community and I am proud to be a member.  Pull out your fountain pen and paper and let's celebrate together!